JP7262046B2 - LOAD CONTROLLER, LOAD CONTROL METHOD AND PROGRAM - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure generally relates to a load control device, load control method and program, and more particularly to a load control device, load control method and program for controlling power supply from an AC power supply to a load.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a two-wire dimmer (load control device) that controls a lighting load. This two-wire dimmer includes two FETs for opening and closing a power supply line from an AC power source to a lighting load, a diode (converter) for generating DC power from the AC power supplied from the AC power source, and the DC power and a control circuit that operates with the DC power smoothed by the capacitor and controls the on/off of the FET. In this two-wire dimmer, the power supply voltage is supplied by the output voltage of the capacitor.

Patent No. 4620773

In the two-wire dimmer described above, the control circuit may be reset when the power supply voltage supplied by the output voltage of the capacitor falls below the specified voltage. When the control circuit is reset, the control circuit and thus the load controller are disabled until the control circuit is restarted.

In view of the above reasons, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a load control device, a load control method, and a program capable of suppressing the power supply voltage supplied by the output voltage of the buffer unit from dropping below a specified voltage.

A load control device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a switching section, a switch control section, a conversion section, an additional function section, a buffer section, and a control section. The switching unit controls the supply of power from the AC power supply to the load by connecting and disconnecting the AC power supply and the load to operate and stop the load. The switch control section controls the switching section. The conversion unit converts AC power supplied from the AC power supply into DC power. The additional function section operates using the DC power converted by the conversion section. The buffer unit stores the DC power converted by the conversion unit in a dischargeable manner, and can discharge the stored power as the DC power to the additional function unit. The control section limits the operation of the additional function section based on the output voltage of the buffer section.

A load control method according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a load control method for controlling a load control device including a switching unit, a switch control unit, a conversion unit, an additional function unit, and a buffer unit. The switching unit controls the supply of power from the AC power supply to the load by connecting and disconnecting the AC power supply and the load to operate and stop the load. The switch control section controls the switching section. The conversion unit converts AC power supplied from the AC power supply into DC power. The additional function section operates using the DC power converted by the conversion section. The buffer unit stores the DC power converted by the conversion unit in a dischargeable manner, and can discharge the stored power as the DC power to the additional function unit. The load control method includes control processing for limiting the operation of the additional function section based on the output voltage of the buffer section.

A program according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer system to execute the load control method of the aspect described above.

The present disclosure has the advantage of being able to prevent the power supply voltage supplied by the output voltage of the buffer section from dropping below a specified voltage.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a load control device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the control unit of the load control device of the same. 3A is a schematic configuration diagram of a load control device according to Modification 2 of Embodiment 1. FIG. 3B is a schematic configuration diagram of a modification of the load control device according to Modification 2. FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the control section of the load control device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of the load control device according to the third and fourth embodiments. FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of a load control device according to a fifth embodiment.

A load control device according to an embodiment will be described below. The following embodiments are merely examples of various embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, the embodiments described below can be modified in various ways according to design and the like as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved.

(Embodiment 1)
A load control device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the load control device 1 is a two-wire load control device. The load control device 1 is connected in series between the AC power supply B1 and the load Q1, and controls power supplied from the AC power supply B1 to the load Q1. The load control device 1 operates with electric power from the AC power supply B1. That is, the load Q1 and the load control device 1 operate with power from the AC power supply B1.

The load control device 1 can be controlled by a radio control signal from the remote control device 20, for example. That is, by controlling the load control device 1 by operating the remote control device 20, the operation of the load Q1 can be controlled.

The load Q1 is, for example, a lighting fixture. A lighting fixture is, for example, a lighting fixture that is installed indoors of a building to illuminate the interior. Load Q1 has two power supply terminals. AC power from an AC power supply B1 is input to two power supply terminals.

AC power supply B1 is, for example, a commercial AC power supply. AC power supply B1 has two output terminals. One output end is connected to one power supply terminal of the load Q1 through the electric line H1, and the other output end is connected to the other power supply terminal of the load Q1 through the electric line H2.

The load control device 1 includes a switching section 2 , a drive circuit 3 , a switch control section 4 , a radio section 5 (additional function section), and a power supply section 6 .

The switching unit 2 connects and disconnects the AC power supply B1 and the load Q1. As a result, the power supply from the AC power supply B1 to the load Q1 is controlled to operate and stop the load Q1. When the load Q1 is a lighting fixture, operating the load Q1 means turning on the load Q1. When the load Q1 is a lighting fixture, stopping the load Q1 means turning off the load Q1. be. The switching unit 2 is connected in series between the AC power supply B1 and the load Q1. That is, the switching unit 2 is connected in series with the electric line H1.

The switching section 2 has two switching elements M1 and M2. The two switching elements M1 and M2 are, for example, semiconductor switching elements, more specifically enhancement-type N-channel MOSFETs (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors). The drain of one switching element M1 is electrically connected to one output end of AC power supply B1. Also, the drain of the other switching element M2 is electrically connected to the other output terminal of the AC power supply B1 through the load Q1. Furthermore, the sources of the two switching elements M1 and M2 are electrically connected. A connection point NP3 of the sources of the two switching elements M1 and M2 is grounded. Gates of the two switching elements M1 and M2 are electrically connected to the driving circuit 3 . The drive circuit 3 turns on and off the two switching elements M<b>1 and M<b>2 under the control of the switch control section 4 .

Each of the switching elements M1 and M2 is connected in series with the electric circuit H1 to turn on and off the electric circuit H1. One switching element M1 conducts during positive half-cycles of AC power supply B1, and the other switching element M2 conducts during negative half-cycles of AC power supply B1. In other words, the load control device 1 turns on and off the switching elements M1 and M2 to phase-control the AC voltage supplied from the AC power source B1 to the lighting fixture, which is the load Q1, thereby lighting and dimming the lighting fixture. For example, each of the switching elements M1 and M2 is turned on (conducted) at the beginning of each half cycle of the AC power source B1 under the control of the switch control section 4, and is switched on during the half cycle according to the desired brightness of the load Q1. Turn off (shut off) at a certain time. Each of the switching elements M1 and M2 is turned on (conducted) at a desired phase within the half cycle of the AC power source B1 according to the control of the switch control unit 4, and turned off (cut off) at the end of the half cycle. good too.

The drive circuit 3 drives the switching section 2 under the control of the switch control section 4 . More specifically, the drive circuit 3 applies a drive voltage between the gate and source of the two switching elements M1 and M2 of the switching unit 2 to turn the two switching elements M1 and M2 on (conducting state) and off. (blocking state).

The wireless unit 5 performs communication (wireless communication) using wireless signals with the remote control device 20 (external communication device). Radio unit 5 receives a control signal by radio signal from remote control device 20 . The radio section 5 outputs the received control signal to the switch control section 4 . Based on this output, the radio section 5 controls the switch control section 4 . The signal medium of the wireless signal is infrared rays or radio waves. The radio section 5 is controlled by a control section 17 which will be described later. The radio unit 5 may be, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), Zigbee (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or specified low-power radio.

The switch control unit 4 controls on/off of the switching unit 2 via the drive circuit 3 according to the control of the radio unit 5 . This controls the lighting, extinguishing and dimming of the load Q1.

More specifically, the switch controller 4 controls the length of the ON period within each half cycle of the AC power from the AC power source B1. The ON period is a period from when the switching unit 2 is turned ON until it is turned OFF. For example, the switch control unit 4 turns on the switching unit 2 at the beginning of each half cycle of the AC power from the AC power source B1 (the zero crossing point of the AC power), and turns on the switching unit 2 at a desired time point within the half cycle. Turn off. That is, the switch control section 4 controls the length of the ON time of the switching section 2 by controlling the timing of turning off the switching section 2 . The load Q1 is turned off or turned on by controlling the on-time to be zero or a desired length other than zero. Also, the load Q1 is dimmed by controlling the length of the ON time.

Note that the switch control unit 4 turns on the switching unit 2 at a desired point in the half cycle of the AC power from the AC power source B1, and turns off the switching unit 2 at the end of the half cycle to reduce the ON time. You can control the length.

The power supply unit 6 converts AC power supplied from the AC power supply B<b>1 into DC power, and supplies the converted DC power to the drive circuit 3 , the switch control unit 4 and the radio unit 5 . That is, the drive circuit 3, the switch control section 4, and the radio section 5 operate with AC power from the AC power supply B1.

The power supply unit 6 includes a rectifier circuit 10 (conversion unit), a constant voltage circuit 11, a constant current circuit 12, a DC-DC converter 16 (step-down circuit), smoothing capacitors C1 and C3, a buffer unit 14, and a control circuit. a portion 17;

Rectifier circuit 10 converts AC power supplied from AC power supply B1 into DC power. That is, the rectifier circuit 10 generates DC power to be supplied to the drive circuit 3 , the switch control section 4 and the radio section 5 from the AC power. The rectifier circuit 10 has two rectifiers D1 and D2. Anodes of the rectifying elements D1 and D2 are connected to branch points NP1 and NP2 on both sides of the switching section 2 in the electric line H1. The cathodes of the rectifying elements D1 and D2 are connected to each other and connected to the input terminal of the constant voltage circuit 11 .

Rectifier circuit 10 receives AC power from AC power supply B1 at branch points NP1 and NP2, and converts the received AC power into DC power. More specifically, when the cycle of the AC power from AC power source B1 is a positive half cycle, rectifier circuit 10 receives AC power from branch point NP1 and rectifies the input AC power through rectifying element D1. and convert it to DC power. When the cycle of the AC power from the AC power source B1 is a negative half cycle, the rectifier circuit 10 receives AC power from the branch point NP2, passes the AC power through the rectifying element D2, rectifies it, and converts it into a DC power. Convert to electricity. The rectifier circuit 10 outputs to the constant voltage circuit 11 a pulsating current voltage (DC voltage) obtained by full-wave rectifying the AC voltage supplied from the AC power supply B1.

The constant voltage circuit 11 converts the pulsating current voltage supplied from the rectifier circuit 10 into a stable DC voltage (for example, a DC voltage of 80 V) to stabilize the voltage. Thereby, the constant voltage circuit 11 stabilizes the DC voltage supplied to the drive circuit 3 , the switch control section 4 and the radio section 5 . More specifically, the constant voltage circuit 11 converts the voltage value of the voltage V1 of the DC power from the rectifier circuit 10 into a predetermined voltage value and outputs it, and maintains the voltage value of the output voltage V2 at the predetermined voltage value. do. The constant voltage circuit 11 is composed of, for example, a Zener diode, a resistor, a semiconductor switch, and the like.

A smoothing capacitor C<b>1 is provided downstream of the constant voltage circuit 11 . More specifically, the smoothing capacitor C1 is connected between the branch point of the electric path between the output terminal of the constant voltage circuit 11 and the input terminal of the constant current circuit 12 and the ground point.

The constant current circuit 12 controls the current I2 of the DC power from the constant voltage circuit 11 (that is, the DC power controlled by the constant voltage circuit 11) to a predetermined current value. That is, the constant current circuit 12 makes the DC current supplied to the drive circuit 3, the switch control section 4 and the radio section 5 constant current. More specifically, the constant current circuit 12 converts the current value of the current I2 of the DC power from the constant voltage circuit 11 into a predetermined current value and outputs it, and converts the current value of the output current I3 to the predetermined current value. value.

The constant current circuit 12 sets the current value of the output current I2 of the constant voltage circuit 11 as a predetermined current value according to the operating state and the stopped state of the switching unit 2 (that is, when the load Q1 is lit and when the load Q1 is not lit). Switch between one current value (eg 0.5 mA) and a second current value (eg 3.0 mA). The operating state of the switching unit 2 is a state in which the switching elements M1 and M2 are on/off-controlled to phase-control the AC voltage supplied from the AC power supply B1 to the load Q1, and the load Q1 is operated (lighted). . The stopped state of the switching unit 2 is a state in which the switching elements M1 and M2 are turned off to stop the power supply from the AC power supply B1 to the load Q1, and the load Q1 is stopped (turned off). The second current value is a current value greater than the first current value. More specifically, the constant current circuit 12 converts the current value of the output current I2 of the constant voltage circuit 11 into a first current value and outputs the first current value when the switching unit 2 is stopped (that is, when the load Q1 is turned off), The voltage value of the output current I3 is maintained at the first current value. Further, the constant current circuit 12 converts the current value of the output current I2 of the constant voltage circuit 11 into a second current value and outputs the output current I3 is maintained at the second current value. The constant current circuit 12 is composed of, for example, a semiconductor switch, a bias resistor, a shunt resistor, a shunt regulator, and the like.

The buffer section 14 is provided after the constant current circuit 12 . More specifically, the buffer section 14 is connected between the branch point NP4 of the electric path between the output terminal of the constant current circuit 12 and the input terminal of the DC-DC converter 16 and the ground point. The buffer unit 14 is composed of a capacitor C2 for buffering. The buffer section 14 is charged with the output voltage V3 of the constant current circuit 12 . That is, the buffer unit 14 stores the output power (output current I3) of the constant current circuit 12 as chargeable/dischargeable energy. Since the output power of the constant current circuit 12 is based on the DC power converted by the rectifier circuit 10, the buffer unit 14 is charged with the DC power converted by the rectifier circuit 10 so that it can be discharged. I can say. When the output current I3 of the constant current circuit 12 is insufficient, the buffer unit 14 can discharge the charge (charged power) as the output current I3 of the constant current circuit 12 . Thereby, the shortage of the output current I3 of the constant current circuit 12 is compensated. The output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 is supplied to the driving circuit 3, the switch control section 4 and the radio section 5 via the DC-DC converter 16 as a power supply voltage. The output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 is proportional to the stored charge (stored power) of the buffer section 14 .

The DC-DC converter 16 steps down the voltage value of the voltage V3 of the DC power output from the constant current circuit 12 to a predetermined voltage value (for example, 3.3 V), and transfers the stepped-down DC power to the switch control unit 4, wireless It is supplied to the unit 5 and the drive circuit 3 . That is, the switch control section 4, the radio section 5 and the drive circuit 3 operate using the output power of the DC-DC converter 16. FIG. Since the output power of the DC-DC converter 16 is based on the DC power converted by the rectifier circuit 10, the switch control unit 4, the radio unit 5, and the drive circuit 3 use the DC power converted by the rectifier circuit 10. It can be said that it works with The predetermined voltage value (for example, 3.3 V) is an example of the required voltage required by the switch control section 4, the radio section 5, and the drive circuit 3. FIG.

After the DC-DC converter 16, a smoothing capacitor C3 is provided. More specifically, the smoothing capacitor C3 is connected between the output end of the DC-DC converter 16 and ground.

The control section 17 controls the radio section 5 based on the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 . That is, the control unit 17 determines the operation contents of the radio unit 5 based on the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14. FIG. Note that the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 is the voltage between the two electrodes of the buffer section 14 .

More specifically, control unit 17 controls radio unit 5 so as to reduce power consumption of radio unit 5 as output voltage V4 of buffer unit 14 decreases. More specifically, the control section 17 detects (that is, monitors) whether or not the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 is equal to or higher than the threshold voltage. Note that the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 is proportional to the charge in the buffer section 14 . For this reason, detecting the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 is equivalent to detecting the accumulated electric charge of the buffer section 14 .

Then, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 exceeds the threshold voltage, the control section 17 causes the radio section 5 to operate in normal operation. Normal operation means operating the radio section 5 so that both transmission and reception are possible without restricting the operation of the radio section 5 . Further, the control unit 17 limits the operation of the radio unit 5 when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage. As an example of limiting the operation of the radio unit 5 , the control unit 17 stops the radio unit 5 .

The above threshold voltage is, for example, a voltage higher than the reset voltage of each of the switch control section 4 and the radio section 5 . The reset voltage of the switch control section 4 is a voltage at which the microcomputer (microcomputer) in the switch control section 4 is reset and restarted. That is, the microcomputer in the switch control section 4 is restarted when the supplied voltage becomes equal to or lower than the reset voltage. Similarly, the reset voltage of the radio section 5 is the voltage at which the microcomputer in the radio section 5 is reset and restarted. That is, the microcomputer in the radio section 5 is restarted when the supplied voltage becomes equal to or lower than the reset voltage.

In this embodiment, the switch control unit 4 and the radio unit 5 are each composed of, for example, a microcomputer. In the switch control unit 4 and the radio unit 5, the output voltage of the constant current circuit 12 (that is, the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14) drops, and the voltage of the power supplied to the switch control unit 4 and the radio unit 5 becomes the reset voltage. automatically resets and restarts when

The control unit 17 is configured as, for example, a comparison circuit, as shown in FIG. The comparator circuit has two inputs 17a, 17b and one output 17c. One input section 17a is electrically connected to the electrode on the higher potential side of the two electrodes of the buffer section 14 . As a result, the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 is input to one input section 17a. A threshold voltage Vref is input to the other input section 17b as a reference voltage. The output section 17c is electrically connected to the radio section 5 . That is, the comparison circuit compares two voltages (the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 and the threshold voltage Vref) input to the two input sections 17a and 17b. As a result of the comparison, if the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 is higher than the threshold voltage Vref, the control section 17 outputs an H level signal from the output section 17c. Further, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vref as a result of the above comparison, the control section 17 outputs an L level signal from the output section 17c. On the other hand, the radio section 5 operates normally when receiving an H level signal from the control section 17, and restricts (for example, stops) the operation when receiving an L level signal. The H level signal is an example of a control signal for operating the radio section 5 in normal operation, and the L level signal is an example of a control signal for stopping the radio section 5 . In this embodiment, the control unit 17 functions as a voltage detection circuit that detects the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 by being configured as a comparison circuit.

Next, the operation of this load control device 1 will be described. In this load control device 1 , AC power from AC power supply B<b>1 is input to power supply section 6 . The AC power input to the power supply unit 6 is rectified by the rectifier circuit 10 and converted into DC power. The converted DC power is maintained at a predetermined voltage value (e.g., 80 V) by the constant voltage circuit 11, and maintained at a predetermined current value (first current value or second current value) by the constant current circuit 12. , and is stepped down to a predetermined voltage value (eg, 3.3 V) by the DC-DC converter 16 . The DC power stepped down by the DC-DC converter 16 is supplied to the drive circuit 3, the switch control section 4 and the radio section 5. This power supply causes the drive circuit 3, the switch control section 4, and the radio section 5 to operate. Also, the buffer unit 14 is charged with the output voltage V3 of the constant current circuit 12 . When the current consumption of the drive circuit 3, the switch control unit 4, and the radio unit 5 increases and the output current I3 of the constant current circuit 12 becomes insufficient, the charge (charging) of the buffer unit 14 is supplied to compensate for the shortage. power) is discharged as the output current I3 of the constant current circuit 12 . Then, this discharge current is supplied to the drive circuit 3, the switch control section 4 and the radio section 5 as the output current I3. As a result, shortage of electric power supplied to the drive circuit 3, the switch control section 4 and the radio section 5 can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the first current value (the current value of the output current I3 of the constant current circuit 12 when the load Q1 is turned off) is set to 0.5 mA, for example. With this setting, when the load Q1 is turned off, if the current consumption of the circuit for controlling the power supply to the load Q1 (for example, the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5) is 0.7 mA or less, the load Q1 is turned on incorrectly. Assuming you don't. In this case, the first current value is set to 0.5 mA with some margin.

When the first current value is 0.5 mA and the output voltage of the constant current circuit 12 is 50 V, the output power of the constant current circuit 12 is 25 mW (=0.5 mA×50 V). Assuming that the efficiency of the DC-DC converter 16 is 80%, the output power of the DC-DC converter 16 is 20 mW (=25 mW×80%). In this case, the consumption current that can be consumed by the switch control section 4 and the radio section 5 is approximately 6 mA. In this case, when the current consumption of the switch control section 4 and the radio section 5 momentarily exceeds 6 mA, the charge in the buffer section 14 is discharged, and the output current I3 of the constant current circuit 12 reaches the first current value (0. 5mA).

Further, in the present embodiment, as an example, the second current value (the current value of the output current I3 of the constant current circuit 12 when the load Q1 is lit) is set to a relatively low current value of 5.0 mA. be done. As a result, when the load Q1 is lit, the impedance seen from the load Q1 is reduced. As a result, when the current consumption of the switch control unit 4 and the radio unit 5 is large, even if the current consumption of the switch control unit 4 and the radio unit 5 fluctuates, the load Q1 can be maintained in a stable lighting state without flickering. .

Further, in this load control device 1, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 exceeds the threshold voltage Vref, the control section 17 does not restrict the operation of the radio section 5 (that is, in normal operation). make it work. On the other hand, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vref, the control section 17 limits (for example, stops) the operation of the radio section 5 . Thereby, the power consumption of the radio unit 5 is suppressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 from becoming equal to or lower than the specified voltage (for example, the reset voltage). Then, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 exceeds the threshold voltage Vref, the control section 17 causes the radio section 5 to operate normally.

As described above, according to the load control device 1 according to this embodiment, the fluctuation of the power consumption of the switch control section 4 and the radio section 5 can be absorbed by the discharge charge of the buffer section 14 . As a result, malfunction of the load Q1 caused by fluctuations in the power consumption of the switch control unit 4 and the radio unit 5 can be suppressed. Furthermore, the radio section 5 is controlled based on the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the power supply voltage supplied by the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 from dropping to a specified voltage (for example, a reset voltage) or less. That is, when the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 are reset and restarted, the switch control unit 4 and the wireless unit 5 are disabled for a certain period of time until they are reset and restarted. As described above, by suppressing the power supply voltage supplied by the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 from becoming equal to or lower than the specified voltage, the switch control unit 4 and the radio unit 5 are disabled for a certain period of time. can be suppressed.

(Modified Example of Embodiment 1 and Other Embodiments)
Embodiment 1 is but one of various embodiments of the present invention. Embodiment 1 can be modified in various ways according to design and the like as long as the object of the present invention can be achieved. Furthermore, the aspects according to the first embodiment are not limited to being embodied in the load control device 1 . For example, the aspect according to the first embodiment may be embodied by a load control method, a computer program, a storage medium storing a program, or the like. Modifications of Embodiment 1 and other embodiments (including modifications) described below can be applied in combination as appropriate.

The load control method described above includes the switching unit 2, the switch control unit 4, the rectifier circuit 10 (converting unit), the additional function units 5, 5A, 5B, 7, the buffer unit 14, and the control unit 4. It is a load control method for controlling the load control device 1 provided. The switching unit 2 connects and disconnects the AC power supply B1 and the load Q1, thereby controlling the power supply from the AC power supply B1 to the load Q1 to operate and stop the load Q1. The switch control section 4 controls the switching section 2 . Rectifier circuit 10 converts AC power supplied from AC power supply B1 into DC power. Additional function units 5 , 5 A, 5 B, and 7 operate using DC power converted by rectifier circuit 10 . The buffer unit 14 stores the DC power converted by the rectifier circuit 10 in a dischargeable manner, and can discharge the stored power to the additional function units 5, 5A, 5B, and 7 as DC power. The load control method includes control processing for controlling additional function units 5 , 5 A, 5 B, and 7 based on output voltage V 4 of buffer unit 14 .

(Modification 1)
Embodiment 1 exemplifies the case where the additional function unit is the wireless unit 5 . However, the additional function unit is not limited to the radio unit 5 and may be any processing unit as long as it operates on DC power converted by the rectifier circuit 10 . For example, the additional function unit may be a display unit or a voice recognition unit, or may be a processing unit that operates differently from the switch control unit. The display unit is a device that can display information about the load Q1, for example. The voice recognition unit is a device for the user to voice-input an operation for the load Q1.

(Modification 2)
Although the constant voltage circuit 11, the constant current circuit 12 and the DC-DC converter 16 are provided in the first embodiment, all of the circuits 12, 13 and 16 may not be provided as shown in FIG. 3A. In the example of FIG. 3A, the output current of the rectifier circuit 10 directly charges the buffer section 14 so that it can be charged and discharged. Then, the discharged power of the buffer section 14 is directly supplied to the switch control section 4 and the radio section 5 . Alternatively, any one or any two of the circuits 12, 13, and 16 may be provided. For example, when only the constant current circuit 12 is provided among the circuits 12, 13, and 16, it is configured as shown in FIG. 3B. In the example of FIG. 3B, the output current of the rectifier circuit is directly input to the constant current circuit. Then, as in the case of FIG. 3A, the discharged power of the buffer section 14 is directly supplied to the switch control section 4 and the radio section 5. FIG.

(Modification 3)
In Embodiment 1, the control unit 17 may be configured by a microcomputer having a processor and a memory as main components, for example. That is, the control unit 17 may be realized by a computer system having a processor and memory. In this case, the computer system functions as the control unit 17 by the processor executing an appropriate program. The program may be prerecorded in a memory, or may be provided by being recorded in a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card or through an electric communication line such as the Internet. Similarly, the switch control section 4 and the radio section 5 (additional function section) may also be configured by a microcomputer having a processor and a memory as main components, for example.

(Embodiment 2)
The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the operation of the radio section 5 is restricted step by step according to the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 . A load control device 1 according to the second embodiment is configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG.

In the second embodiment, the controller 17 has a plurality of (for example, two) threshold voltages Vref1 and Vref2 (Vref1>Vref2) that are different from each other. The control unit 17 compares the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 with each of the two threshold voltages Vref1 and Vref2, and outputs the comparison result to the radio unit 5. FIG. The wireless unit 5 limits the operation step by step according to the comparison result from the control unit 17 .

The radio unit 5 has a plurality of (for example, three) operation modes. The multiple modes of operation include a normal mode, a transmit inhibit mode, and a receive inhibit mode. The normal mode is a mode in which both transmission and reception of the radio section 5 are possible (that is, a mode in which the operation of the radio section 5 is not restricted). The transmission prohibition mode is a mode in which the radio unit 5 is prohibited from transmitting out of transmission and reception, and only reception is possible. The reception inhibition mode is a mode in which reception is inhibited and only transmission is possible, out of transmission and reception of the radio section 5 .

In this embodiment, power consumption by the radio unit 5 for reception is smaller than power consumption by the radio unit 5 for transmission. Therefore, the power consumption decreases in the order of normal mode, reception prohibited mode, and transmission prohibited mode.

As shown in FIG. 4, the radio section 5 limits the operation step by step from among the three operation modes according to the comparison result from the control section 17. FIG. In the example of FIG. 4, the radio section 5 limits the operation mode of the radio section 5 so that the power consumption decreases step by step as the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 decreases. That is, when the comparison result of the control section 17 indicates that the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 is higher than the threshold voltage Vref1 (S1: Yes), the radio section 5 operates in the normal mode (S2). That is, since the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 is sufficiently high, the radio section 5 operates without restrictions. Then, the process returns to step S1. If the comparison result of the control unit 17 indicates that the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or less than the threshold voltage Vref1 (S1: No) and is greater than the threshold voltage Vref2 (S3: Yes), the buffer unit 14 Since the output voltage V4 of is slightly lowered, the radio section 5 operates in the reception prohibition mode (S4). Then, the process returns to step S1. Further, when the comparison result of the control unit 17 indicates that the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vref2 (S3: No), the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 has decreased considerably, so the radio unit 5 operates in the transmission prohibited mode with the lowest power consumption (S5). Then, the process returns to step S1.

Thus, by restricting the operation of the radio section 5 in stages according to the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14, it is possible to avoid completely stopping the radio section 5. FIG.

In addition, in Embodiment 2, although the case where it has three operation modes is illustrated, the number of operation modes is not limited to three. For example, if there are two operating modes (for example, normal mode and transmission prohibited mode), there will be one threshold voltage. In this case, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 exceeds the threshold voltage, the radio unit 5 operates in the normal mode. Operates in transmission prohibited mode. That is, when the output power V4 of the buffer unit 14 is lowered, transmission is prohibited and reception is activated. This allows the reception function, which consumes less power than the transmission function, to operate for a longer period of time.

(Embodiment 3)
As shown in FIG. 5, the load control device 1 according to the third embodiment has a plurality of additional function units (for example, two radio units 5A and 5B) in the first embodiment. The two radio units 5A and 5B, for example, differ from each other in at least one of frequency and communication method. The two radio units 5A and 5B may be of two different communication schemes among, for example, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, and specified low-power radio. In this embodiment, the radio section 5A is, for example, Bluetooth, and the radio section 5B is, for example, a specified low-power radio.

The control unit 17 of this embodiment operates the two radio units 5A and 5B in the normal mode when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 exceeds the threshold voltage. Note that the normal mode is a mode in which both transmission and reception are possible without restricting operations. On the other hand, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage, the control unit 17 switches one of the two wireless units 5A and 5B (the wireless unit that communicated most recently) to the normal mode. (i.e., do not restrict operation), and restrict (eg, stop) the operation of other radio units. As a result, it is possible to use the radio unit that has been communicating most recently in the normal mode for a longer period of time. It should be noted that "most recently communicated" means that the most recent communication was performed in chronological order. In addition, the control unit 17 stores the communication history of each of the two radio units 5A and 5B, and from the communication history, identifies the radio unit with which the radio units 5A and 5B communicated most recently. do.

(Embodiment 4)
In the third embodiment, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage, the radio unit with which communication was performed most recently among the plurality of radio units 5A and 5B is operated in the normal mode, and the other radio units are operated. restrict (e.g., stop) the operation of On the other hand, in this embodiment, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage, the operation of the radio unit 5A with the largest power consumption among the plurality of radio units 5A and 5B is restricted (for example, stop) and operate the other radio unit 5B in the normal mode. This allows the other radio section 5B of the plurality of radio sections 5A and 5B to operate for a longer period of time. Also in this embodiment, as in the third embodiment, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 exceeds the threshold voltage, the control section 17 causes the plurality of radio sections 5A and 5B to operate in the normal mode. Note that the load control device 1 of this embodiment is also configured in the same manner as in the third embodiment, as shown in FIG.

(Embodiment 5)
As shown in FIG. 6, the load control device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of (for example, two) additional function units 5 and 7 in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the additional function unit 5 is, for example, a radio unit as in the first embodiment, and the additional function unit 7 is, for example, a display unit that displays various information regarding the load Q1. Hereinafter, the additional function units 5 and 7 are also referred to as the radio unit 5 and the display unit 7, respectively. The display unit 7 can switch the brightness of the display screen between two levels (high brightness and low brightness) under the control of the control unit 17 .

Further, the control unit 17 of the present embodiment has a plurality (for example, two) of threshold voltages Vref3 and Vref4. The multiple threshold voltages Vref3 and Vref4 correspond to the multiple additional function units 5 and 7, respectively. That is, threshold voltages Vref3 and Vref4 are set for each of the plurality of additional function units 5 and 7, respectively. In this embodiment, the two threshold voltages Vref3 and Vref4 are different voltages, for example.

The control unit 17 controls the plurality of additional function units 5 and 7 with different control contents according to the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 . More specifically, the control unit 17 causes the radio unit 5 to operate in the normal mode when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 exceeds the threshold voltage Vref3, for example, as in the first embodiment. Further, the control unit 17 restricts (for example, stops) the operation of the radio unit 5 when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vref3. Further, for the display unit 7, the control unit 17 causes the display screen of the display unit 7 to emit light with high luminance when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 exceeds the threshold voltage Vref4, for example. Further, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vref4, the control section 17 causes the display section 7 to emit light at a low brightness.

In this embodiment, the control unit 17 includes a plurality of (for example, two) comparison circuits 17A and 17B. The plurality of comparison circuits 17A and 17B correspond to the plurality of additional function units 5 and 7, respectively. Each comparator circuit 17A, 17B has two inputs and one output. In each of the comparison circuits 17A and 17B, one input section is connected to the electrode on the high potential side of the two electrodes of the buffer section 14, and the corresponding threshold voltages Vref3 and Vref4 are input to the other input section. , the output units are electrically connected to the corresponding additional function units 5 and 7 .

In this embodiment, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 exceeds the threshold voltage Vref3, the comparison circuit 17A outputs an H level signal to the radio section 5, which causes the radio section 5 to operate in the normal mode. Further, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vref3, the comparison circuit 17A outputs an L level signal to the radio section 5, and the radio section 5 is stopped by this signal.

Further, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14 exceeds the threshold voltage Vref4, the comparison circuit 17B outputs an H level signal to the display section 7, which causes the display screen of the display section 7 to emit light with high luminance. Further, when the output voltage V4 of the buffer unit 14 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vref4, the comparison circuit 17B outputs an L level signal to the display unit 7, which causes the display screen of the display unit 7 to emit light with low luminance. . The power consumption of the display unit 7 is reduced by causing the display screen to emit light with low luminance.

According to this embodiment, a plurality of additional function units 5 and 7 are provided, and threshold voltages Vref1 and Vref2 are set for each of the plurality of additional function units 5 and 7, respectively. Therefore, when a plurality of additional function units 5 and 7 are provided, the threshold voltages Vref1 and Vref2 that limit the operation of each additional function unit 5 and 7 can be made different for each of the additional function units 5 and 7. FIG. This makes it possible to restrict the operations of the additional function units 5 and 7 by individually considering the voltage required for the operation of the additional function units 5 and 7 .

Further, based on the output voltage V4 of the buffer section 14, the plurality of additional function sections 5 and 7 are controlled with different control contents. Therefore, each of the plurality of additional function units 5 and 7 can be controlled with optimum control contents.

In this embodiment, a wireless unit and a display unit are exemplified as the plurality of additional function units 5 and 7, but the plurality of additional function units 5 and 7 are not limited to the wireless unit and the display unit.

(summary)
The load control device (1) of the first aspect includes a switching section (2), a switch control section (4), a conversion section (10), additional function sections (5, 5A, 5B, 7), a buffer A unit (14) and a control unit (17). The switching unit (2) controls the supply of power from the AC power supply (B1) to the load (Q1) by conducting and interrupting the connection between the AC power supply (B1) and the load (Q1). ) is activated and deactivated. A switch control section (4) controls the switching section (2). A conversion unit (10) converts AC power supplied from an AC power supply (B1) into DC power. The additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) operate using the DC power converted by the conversion unit (10). A buffer unit (14) stores the DC power converted by the conversion unit (10) in a dischargeable manner, and can discharge the stored power as the DC power to the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7). be. A control section (17) controls the additional function sections (5, 5A, 5B, 7) based on the output voltage (V4) of the buffer section (14).

According to this configuration, since the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) are controlled based on the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14), the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14) It is possible to prevent the supplied power supply voltage from dropping to a specified voltage (for example, reset voltage) or less.

In the load control device (1) of the second mode, in the first mode, the control section (17) controls the additional function section (5, 5A) as the output voltage (V4) of the buffer section (14) decreases. , 5B, 7) to reduce the power consumption of the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7).

According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the power supply voltage supplied by the output voltage (V4) of the buffer section (14) from dropping to a specified voltage (eg, reset voltage) or less.

The load control device (1) of the third aspect is, in the first or second aspect, a constant current circuit that makes the current of the DC power supplied to the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) constant current. (12).

According to this configuration, the constant current circuit (12) can suppress the influence of the fluctuation of the current consumption of the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) on the operation of the load (Q1). As a result, malfunction of the load (Q1) due to fluctuations in current consumption of the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) can be suppressed.

In the load control device (1) of the fourth aspect, in any one of the first to third aspects, the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) wirelessly communicate with an external communication device (20) is a radio section (5, 5A, 5B) that performs

According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the influence of fluctuations in the current consumption of the radio units (5, 5A, 5B) from affecting the operation of the load (Q1).

In the load control device (1) of the fifth aspect, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, a plurality of additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) are provided. A control unit (17) limits the operation of one of the plurality of additional function units (5A, 5B) with which communication has recently been performed according to the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14). and restricts the operation of other additional function units.

According to this configuration, it is possible to use the radio unit with which communication was most recently performed for a longer period of time.

A load control device (1) according to a sixth aspect, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, is a device for controlling the voltage of the DC power supplied to the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7). A voltage constant circuit (11) is provided.

According to this configuration, the constant voltage circuit (11) can suppress the influence of the voltage fluctuation of the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) on the operation of the load (Q1). As a result, malfunction of the load (Q1) due to voltage fluctuations of the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) can be suppressed.

In the load control device (1) of the seventh aspect, in any one aspect of the first to sixth aspects, the additional function section (7) is a display section for displaying information on the load (Q1).

According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the influence of fluctuations in the power consumption of the display section (7) on the operation of the load (Q1).

In the load control device (1) of the eighth aspect, in any one aspect of the first to seventh aspects, the control section (17) controls the output voltage (V4) of the buffer section (14) to be the threshold voltage ( Vref, Vref1 to Vref4), the operation of the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) is restricted.

According to this configuration, when the output voltage (V4) of the buffer section (14) is equal to or lower than the threshold voltages (Vref, Vref1 to Vref4), the operation of the additional function sections (5, 5A, 5B, 7) is restricted. , it is possible to prevent the power supply voltage supplied by the output voltage (V4) of the buffer section (14) from dropping to a specified voltage (eg, reset voltage) or less.

In the load control device (1) of the ninth aspect, in the eighth aspect, the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) are restarted when the voltage of the supplied DC power falls below the reset voltage. Threshold voltages (Vref, Vref1 to Vref4) are greater than the reset voltage.

According to this configuration, it is further suppressed that the output voltage (V4) of the buffer section (14) falls below a specified voltage (eg, reset voltage) due to fluctuations in the power consumption of the additional function sections (5, 5A, 5B, 7). can.

In the load control device (1) of the tenth aspect, in the eighth or ninth aspect, a plurality of additional functional units (5, 7) are provided. Threshold voltages (Vref3, Vref4) are set for each of the plurality of additional function units (5, 7).

According to this configuration, when a plurality of additional function units (5, 7) are provided, the threshold voltages (Vref3, Vref4) for limiting the operation of each additional function unit (5, 7) are set to the additional function units (5, 7). ) can be different. This makes it possible to limit the operation of the additional function units (5, 7) by individually considering the voltage required for the operation of the additional function units (5, 7).

In the load control device (1) of the eleventh aspect, in any one of the first to tenth aspects, a plurality of additional function units (5A, 5B) are provided. When the output voltage (V4) of the buffer section (14) is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage, the control section (17) selects the additional function section ( 5A, 5B) are restricted.

According to this configuration, of the plurality of additional function units (5A, 5B), the other additional function unit that consumes the least power can be operated for a longer period of time.

In the load control device (1) of the twelfth aspect, in any one of the first to eleventh aspects, a plurality of additional functional units (5A, 5B) are provided. A control section (17) controls the plurality of additional function sections (5A, 5B) with different control contents based on the output voltage (V4) of the buffer section (14).

According to this configuration, each of the plurality of additional function units (5A, 5B) can be controlled with optimum control details based on the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14).

In the load control device (1) of the thirteenth aspect, in any one aspect of the first to twelfth aspects, the control section (17), according to the output voltage (V4) of the buffer section (14), The operation of the additional function part (5) is restricted step by step.

According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the operation of the additional function section (5) from suddenly stopping completely.

The load control method of the fourteenth aspect comprises a switching section (2), a switch control section (4), a conversion section (10), a conversion section (10), additional function sections (5, 5A, 5B, 7). ), a buffer section (14), and a control section (4). The switching unit (2) controls the supply of power from the AC power supply (B1) to the load (Q1) by conducting and interrupting the connection between the AC power supply (B1) and the load (Q1). ) is activated and deactivated. A control section (4) controls the switching section (2). A conversion unit (10) converts AC power supplied from an AC power supply (B1) into DC power. The additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) operate using the DC power converted by the conversion unit (10). A buffer unit (14) stores the DC power converted by the conversion unit (10) in a dischargeable manner, and can discharge the stored power as DC power to the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7). . The load control method includes control processing for controlling the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) based on the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14).

According to this configuration, since the additional function units (5, 5A, 5B, 7) are controlled based on the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14), the output voltage (V4) of the buffer unit (14) It is possible to prevent the supplied power supply voltage from dropping to a specified voltage (for example, reset voltage) or less.

A program according to a fifteenth aspect is a program for causing a computer system to execute the load control method according to the fourteenth aspect.

According to this configuration, it is possible to provide a program for causing a processor to execute the above load control method.

1 load control device 2 switching unit 4 switch control unit 5, 5A, 5B wireless unit (additional function unit)
7 Display unit (additional function unit)
10 rectifier circuit (converter)
11 constant voltage circuit 12 constant current circuit 14 buffer unit 17 control unit B1 AC power supply Q1 load V4 output voltage Vref, Vref1 to Vref4 threshold voltage

Claims (15)

a switching unit that controls the supply of power from the AC power supply to the load to operate and stop the load by conducting and disconnecting between the AC power supply and the load;
a switch control unit that controls the switching unit;
a conversion unit that converts AC power supplied from the AC power supply into DC power;
an additional function unit that operates using the DC power converted by the conversion unit;
a buffer unit that dischargeably stores the DC power converted by the conversion unit and that can discharge the stored power as the DC power to the additional function unit;
a control unit that limits the operation of the additional function unit based on the output voltage of the buffer unit;
load controller. The control unit controls the additional function unit so as to reduce power consumption of the additional function unit as the output voltage of the buffer unit decreases.
The load control device according to claim 1. A constant current circuit for constant current of the DC power supplied to the additional function unit,
The load control device according to claim 1 or 2. The additional function unit is a wireless unit that performs wireless communication with an external communication device,
A load control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A plurality of the additional function units are provided,
According to the output voltage of the buffer unit, the control unit does not limit the operation of one of the plurality of additional function units with which communication has been performed most recently, and operates the other additional function units. limit the
A load control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A constant voltage circuit that stabilizes the voltage of the DC power supplied to the additional function unit,
A load control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The additional function unit includes a display unit for displaying information about the load,
A load control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The control unit limits the operation of the additional function unit when the output voltage of the buffer unit is equal to or less than a threshold voltage.
A load control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The additional function unit restarts when the voltage of the supplied DC power becomes equal to or lower than a reset voltage,
wherein the threshold voltage is greater than the reset voltage;
The load control device according to claim 8. A plurality of the additional function units are provided,
wherein the threshold voltage is set for each of the plurality of additional function units;
The load control device according to claim 8 or 9. A plurality of the additional function units are provided,
When the output voltage of the buffer unit becomes equal to or less than a threshold voltage, the control unit limits the operation of the additional function unit with the highest power consumption among the plurality of additional function units.
A load control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10. A plurality of the additional function units are provided,
The control unit controls the plurality of additional function units with different control contents based on the output voltage of the buffer unit.
A load control device according to any one of claims 1 to 11. The control unit limits the operation of the additional function unit step by step according to the output voltage of the buffer unit.
A load control device according to any one of claims 1 to 12. a switching unit that controls the supply of power from the AC power supply to the load to operate and stop the load by conducting and disconnecting between the AC power supply and the load;
a switch control unit that controls the switching unit;
a conversion unit that converts AC power supplied from the AC power supply into DC power;
an additional function unit that operates using the DC power converted by the conversion unit;
a buffer unit that dischargeably stores the DC power converted by the conversion unit and that can discharge the stored power as the DC power to the additional function unit;
A load control method for controlling a load control device comprising
including control processing for limiting the operation of the additional function unit based on the output voltage of the buffer unit;
load control method. to the computer system,
A program for executing the load control method according to claim 14.

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